Ecosystems form on top of platforms. Ecosystem design starts with platform design. By designing the platform and guiding interactions on the platform, ecosystem builders can encourage the formation of productive networks that link and leverage assets across the ecosystem. Collaborations self-organize on the platform. Platforms provide a valuable approach to convening willing participants in a […]

It’s no surprise that academic research often lags behind market developments (Brown & Mawson, 2017). What if, to help us close this gap, we thought of practitioners and policy makers as researchers? What if we consider them not users of research but co-producers? Sound strange? It shouldn’t. This trend is underway in the agricultural sector. […]

Years ago, as I was working on consulting teams, we helped companies like GE globalize their production. That meant moving jobs out of the U.S. The only way for the U.S. to adjust to this new global world involved making investments to upgrade the skills of people that were inevitably displaced. That required a dramatic […]

Our traditional approach to community development no longer works. Consider these facts: The opioid crisis is overwhelming our capacity to respond with traditional thinking. In Indiana, for example, 11 separate state agencies barely know each other. None are capable of providing a clear picture of what’s happening across the state. Each year, over 4,300 youths […]

I (re)learned a valuable lesson this week. We design and guide new networks to move quickly, to be come more agile. The paradox, however, is that you cannot rush the formation of these trusted networks. Let me set the stage. This week, a team from the Purdue Agile Strategy Lab traveled to NASA Ames Research […]

In the world of networks, narratives provide guidance. They convey knowledge. They generate learning. They create coherence. They reflect and spread the positive mindset needed for transformation and resilience. When confronting a complex regional transformation, we often focus first on the regional narrative: The stories people share with each other. This step involves seeking out […]

Today, organizations of all types are facing an uncertain future. While we hope for calm times in which we can make steady progress, we know that turbulence can arise at any moment and throw us off course. Our journey is not unlike the ocean kayaker. Offshore breezes can fire up at any time, and they […]

Are the concepts of “collective impact” and “shared value” connected? If so, how? Consider first the case of collective impact. In their article in the Winter 2011 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review, John Kania and Mark Kramer explained the concept of collective impact by introducing us to StriveTogether, and extensive, yet focused, collaboration designed […]

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Betting against the U.S. economy has never been a smart idea. Time and again, our economy has shown remarkable resilience to overcome major disruptions, collapses and failures. From the several panics of the 19th century through the Depression of the 20th, the national economy has regained its footing and moved to a new level of […]

Sadly, the world is never quite so simple as politicians would have us believe. Our politicians have, for some time now, been failing to address the real challenges we face. Democratic capitalism involves continuously balancing interests. Governments help us do that. A government, well functioning, complements the market. It serves individual appetites, our shared interests (e.g., […]

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Mapping your strategy for the knowledge economy

Developing a prosperous economy is challenging...and can be very confusing. A strategy map helps. The basic idea behind this strategy map is that a competitive economy is built on a portfolio of investments.
We need...
1) brainpower with 21st Century skills, because brainpower is the core competitive asset that drives most markets;
2) innovation and entrepreneurship networks to convert brainpower into wealth;
3) quality, connected places, because both smart people and innovative companies are mobile; they will only be attracted to quality, connected places;
4) new narratives to guide people and resources toward new opportunities; and
5) collaborative skills that can be learned through Strategic Doing.
Using this map as a starting point can guide the development an effective strategy for a neighborhood, community or region. The content on this site aligns closely with this map.